title: Microbial ethanol production in postmortem urine sample.
abstract: We present a case in which postmortem blood ethanol concentration was 0.02 g/kg and acetone concentration was 0.51 g/kg, while urine ethanol concentration was 6.0 g/kg and acetone concentration was 0.63 g/kg. In the urine sample, sodium fluoride was not added. The urinary ethanol concentration continued to increase without any remarkable increase of isopropanol concentration and external contamination was excluded. Species of bacteria and yeasts, including Candida glabrata, were isolated from urine and blood samples. A few days after the collection of samples, we received the information that the patient was diabetic and did not receive insulin therapy regularly. To prevent postmortem microbial ethanol production and incorrect diagnosis of the cause of death, it is necessary to add sodium fluoride to blood and urine samples collected from diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University Hospital and School of Medicine, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Davorka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sutlovic
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nestic
authors.forename: Zdravko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kovacic
authors.forename: Stjepan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gusic
authors.forename: Tajana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mlinarek
authors.forename: Ilza
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salamunic
authors.forename: Sanda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sardelic
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D041221:Candida glabrata / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007657:Ketone Bodies / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D011180:Postmortem Changes
chemical_list: D007657:Ketone Bodies; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: ethanol; ketoacidosis; microbial ethanol production; postmortem urine